Choking
Prevention

What do I need to know about choking?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), choking rates are highest for babies under one year old. The majority of kids’ choking injuries are caused by food. There are three basic steps in keeping kids safe from choking:

Keep a watchful eye on children when eating and playing.

Keep dangerous toys, foods, and household items out of reach.

Learn how to provide early treatment (first aid/CPR) for children who are choking.

How can I feed my children safely, and what do I do if they choke?
Kids under age five can choke on food and small objects. Believe it or not, a lot of the choking prevention advice for babies still holds for children up to 4 to 7 years old!

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that the following foods are highest risk. (Children under 4 years old should not eat them.):

hot dogs or sausage

hard, gooey or sticky candy

peanuts, nuts and seeds

whole grapes

chunks of meat or cheese

mashmallows

chunks of peanut butter

popcorn

chunks of raw fruits or vegetables (such as carrots or apples)

chewing gum

Children under age 7 should not be given nuts, because they are still at risk for choking.

Make sure your kids eat at the table, or at least while sitting down. No running, walking or lying down while eating.

Mealtime needs to be supervised by adults. Older brothers and sisters are often not aware of what foods may cause a younger sibling to choke. Many choking accidents happen when older siblings give dangerous foods to younger children.

Latex balloons: Believe it or not, balloons cause more childhood deaths than any other toy. Any substance that can take the shape of a child’s windpipe or airway (like balloons or disposable diaper stuffing) is a more dangerous choking hazard than a hard, solid object. Children ages 3-8 are still at risk for choking on balloons. Choose mylar balloons instead of latex rubber, keep uninflated or broken balloons out of kids’ reach, and supervise children under age eight when they are around balloons.

Small, loose, or broken toys and parts. A small toy or part can easily become lodged in a child's ear, nose or throat. Children can be seriously injured or killed from inhaling, swallowing or choking on objects such as marbles, small balls, toys, or parts of toys that can be compressed to fit completely into a child’s mouth.

Other hazardous items: Round, oval, cylinder or ball-shaped toys, toy parts or other objects. These are the biggest risk when they are the size of the child's windpipe. Some examples are coins, rubber balls, pen or marker caps, small button-type batteries (like watch batteries), or medicine syringes.

How do I childproof my house to prevent choking?

Each time before you set your crawler or toddler loose, get down on the ground and look for dangerous items. Remember to check under furniture and between cushions. If you have older kids, make sure your younger child can’t get to the toys with small parts. While you are expecting a new baby, start training your older child to keep dangerous toys in the designated “small parts” area. Supervise kids when they are playing. Make sure your older kids don’t give dangerous toys or objects to your younger kids. Follow age recommendations on toy packages—they often are based on possible choking hazards.

Be aware also of other kinds of airway obstruction injuries such as suffocation, strangulation and entrapment and how to prevent them and other injuries.

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